Locomotive-stoker.



A. R. AYERS.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER. APPLICATION FILED AUG.20, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

A. R. AYERS.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER.

BPPLICATIQN FILED AUG.20, I914.

' Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l l't A. R. AYERS.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER. Y

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- RPPLICATION FILED AUG.20.1914.

' AUGUSTINE R. AYERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE ares onrica.

-HAL'F 'IO JOHN J.

BERNET, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.:

Locomorrvn-s'roxnn;

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

Original application filed; May 26, 1913, Serial No. 769,840. Divided and this application filed August 20,

- 1914. Serial No. 857,635.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTINE R. Axnns, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive-Stoker's.

' of which the following is a specification.

My invention "relates to locomotives and has particular reference to novel fuel'feed* ing means v.for use in connection therewith.

This a plication is a division of my application, erial No. 7 69,840, filed May 26,

In the chain-grate as ordinarily installed, that is, in stationary practice, coal is fed to the grate through a hopper located above the grate, and distribution of the coal throughout the full length of this hopper,

in other words, over the full width of the grate, is obtained by hand-shoveling or by gravity feed, the coal in thelatter case being'fed from storage hoppers located considerably above the grate. It is my purpose to avoid practically all hand-shoveling, and

the construction of locomotives is such that gravity feed is not at all practical, the coal supply on the tender being carried at a height very little above the levelof the grate. In the arrangement shown, the coal is conveyed from the tender to the transverse center of the grate at the rear end thereof and is deliveredinto a space in which transverse spreaders are mounted. These spreaders act to distribute the fuel L over the width of the grate and are adjustable vertically, whereby the thickness of fuel can be varied and controlled over the entire width of the grate. This is an important feature, inasmuch as' it is quite necessary at I 40 times to provide a deeper fire over one portion or another of the grate. This may be accomplished by different means; preferablyconveyers or deflectors are provided, which are adjustable vertically from either-end, two of such deflectors being mounted at the sides and transverse center of the grate.

'Each of such deflectors being mounted for- .vertical adjustment, the height of the fuel may be controlled exactly. Not only may the transverse conveyersbe adjusted bodily but their outer ends may be adjusted independently of their inner ends. Furthermore screw f'conveyers a fiat vertical plate located prefer to employ-in connection with the isfproyidedr-a hopper' ll, having an opening forwardly of the conveyers and adapted to level'the coal which passes therebeneath, an even distribution of the material being secured thereby. v The connection between the locomotive and the tender'is of necessity a flexible one.

Preferably also the driving. means for the conveyer which carries the coal from the tender to the grate should be connected to the conveyerat the rear end. If the drivlng means forthe conveyer is connected to the forward end of the conveyer the mech BJllSIIl therefor would seriously encroach upon the available space at the point of dis charge of the fuel and would hamper the discharge and distribution thereof. Furthermore, the connection between the conveyerand the engine must be a slidable and flexible one. This further increases the difficulty of driving from the front end of the conveyer. In my construction I locate the 75 drlvlng means forthe conveyer at the rear end thereof where the space is ample, providing a universal and sliding joint i'n-the shaft between the engine and the tender. By this means the driving connections may be located beneath the chute on the engine and be entirely out of the way, permitting a very flexible connection between the conveyer andthe engine. Furthermore, by the means shown I am enabled to feed from the bottom of the tender directly to the distributing space.

The invention will be more readily under stood by reference to the accompanying I drawings, wherein,

Figure I is an elevation partly in section showing an engine tender and a portion of the deck of a locomative, my novel fuel feeding means having been applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the grate of a locomotive showing the means for delivering fuel thereto; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the sameconstruction; Fig. '5 is an en larged detail end elevation of the transverse distributers; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front view thereof and Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the hand leverby means of which the supply of' fuel to the feeder and crusher rollers is controlled.

Referring more particularly ings it will be seen that within the tender 10 the pawl and ratchet 12, therethrough, which opening is I controlled by a sliding gate 13, actuated by the rack 14, controlled by the handle'15, and movable in opposite directions by means of mechanism 16, 17. This handle is available to. the fireman and the amount of fuel fed may be controlled through this mean. Beneath the opening 12, are a pair of feeder and crusher rolls mounted in suitable bearings and actuated through the gearing 18, chain 19, and shaft 20, which will later be described. Mounted I beneath the crushers is a chute 21, having an open-topped, hopper-like rear .end 22.

This chute extends from a' point beneath the crushers17, to the fuel distributing space in the locomotive. Mounted within the chute is a screw conveyer 23, connected through the universal joint 24, to a beveled gear 25. The gear 25 is actuated indirectly by means of a worm 26, on the shaft 20. The forward end of the screw conveyer is mounted in a bearing carried by a yoke 27. secured to and movable with the chute 21.

I As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the chute passes freely through an opening. formed in a plate 28, which constitutes one wall of the coal receivingspace above the grate 29.

The shaft 20 is provided at its forward end with a universal joint and has a slid' ing connection 31'v with a stub shaft 32, also I provided'with a universal joint 33, connected by suitable beveled gears, to atransverse shaft 34, connected at the side to the longitudinal power shaft 35.

The coal is delivered to the sp the grates in a suitable condition and ace above v proper quantity. The coal is thereafter dismember vertical plate acting to level the fuel as it passes therebeneath. Secured to the bar 42' tributed and fed by means of the transverse spreader, best shown-in vlliigs. 3, 4, -5,and 6. Connected to the rear leg of the boiler are brackets 36, 37, 38, each' of which carry an adjusting screw 39, ,a vertically movable guiding member 40,

41, within the brackets operatively connected to fitted within ways 36,- 37, 38. Operatively connected to the 40 is a bar 42, which'constitutesa arebearings 43 within which the shaft of a screw 'conveyer 44 is mounted. At the .middle, as shown in Fig. 6, thetwo adjacent ends of the bars 42are plvoted to the member 40 by means of a single pin 45. It will be seen high at either side as desired. The transverse that the distributing devices may be adjusted at their free ends todistribute the fuel in any desired manner over the grate.

conveyers are driven by means of chains 46,- meshing with sprockets carried on the ends of a transverse shaft 47," operated from'the power shaft 35. In View of the fact. that' the plates 42 and the conveyers 44 move ver tically in unison, the fuel is properly disfuelover the surface of said grate,

jtion-of a moving grate, a

plate,

'fire may be provided at the center or 1 grate,

spreadlng the fuel. in substantially the same tributed and fed to the grate in an even layer which is a decided advantage.

The construction iscapable of consider able modification, the points of nterest 1n the present invention consisting in providing thedrive for the conveyer at the rearthereof and in the tender thus keeping the front end clear of mechanism; also in providing a universal and sliding joint between the tender and engine; alsojin providing a distributing device which is capable of vertical adjustment in any form conducive to the. production of the best fuel layer on the grate. I

Tclaim:

1. In adevice of the class described, the

combination with a locomotive of an endless grate, means for supplying fuel to said grate, over the-surface of said grate, said means including vertically adjustable deflectors of fuel supply and and means for, distributing said fuel 1 of both said deflectors, whereby to control the height of fuel fed. to said grate, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a'locomotive of an endless said grate at one end thereof, and a pair of screw "conveyers vertically adjustable and arranged for rotation,

substantially as described. j 4. Tna fuel feeding device, the combination of a pair of transverse spreaders, means the outer ends thereof, and separate means for vertically moving both said spreaders at the adjacent ends thereof, substantially as described. j

5. In a fuel feeding device, the combinapair of transversely arranged spreaders,

whereby to distribute for moving saidspreaders independently at a leveling plate associated with said spreaders, and'means' for vertically adjusting said spreaders and substantiallyv as described. 1

6. In a device of the class d scribed, the

combination with a locomotive, of an'endless, movable grate, means for (supplying fuel directl to the surface of said grate and in substantially the plane of the top of said and means ,for distributing and plane in which it is delivered to the grate. In a-device of the class'de'scribed, the combinatlo'n with a locomotive, of'an endless chain grate, a coal conveyer dischargice, movable grate, means for supplying fuel to i at the top surface of the fuel ing coal upon said grate at its transverse center near the rear end, and a pair of transverse spreaders, said Spreaders being located immediately adjacent the mouth of the conveyer and adapted to distribute the fuel over the entire Width of said grate, the lower edge of said conveyer being located) slbstantially 8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a locomotive, of an endless chain grate, means for delivering coal directly to the surface of said grate at its transverse center and beneath the firing deck of the locomotive, and means located immediately adjacent to the coal delivering means 15 for distributing said coal over the full Width of said grate, said distributing means being located above the surface of the grate and beneath the firing deck of the engine.

Signed at Chicago, 111., this 15th day of 20 August, 1914.

AUGUSTINE R. AYERS.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. MURRAY, F. M. WARDEN. 

